Wonderful Wizard of Oz #2Review

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A tin man and cowardly lion join Dorothy in one of Marvel's best titles.

By Daniel Crown

When I was nine-years old, I stumbled upon a made for television movie about the life of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. John Ritter played the lead, and seeing as though I was in the midst of a bizarre Three's Company kick, the show instantly grabbed my attention. Little did I know, the movie would help shape my formative reading years, as for the first time, I was clued in to the real, at times sobering world of Oz. Perhaps my favorite thing about Marvel's interpretation is that it seems geared to do the same exact thing for a whole new generation of readers, presenting the material in a fully realized, non-condescending manner.

The second chapter of Marvel's treatment serves to introduce the final batch of principle characters, starting with the Tin Man and ending with the Cowardly Lion. Once again, with its subtle tone and easy language, the story is firmly rooted in all-ages territory. Yet, even so, there does remain a palpable underpinning which broadcasts a very existential message.

Eric Shanower presents Oz as the fable that it's intended to be. He portrays each of his characters as intentionally one-dimensional, not being able to see the world from other people's perspectives. Each of them view his/her respective problems as the most consequential of the bunch, setting up a dynamic of universal dissatisfaction. Dorothy, as plain a girl as there ever was, helps to heal Oz with her touch of common sense and practicality. In a world of fantasy, Dorothy uses simple pragmatism to enrich the lives of her bizarre allies. Instead of focusing entirely on camp-ridden fantasy, what the author manages to capture is Baum's original message of taking joy in the things you usually take for granted. Your home. Your family. Even the basic makeup of the human condition.

Though as good of a job as Shanower does, Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu easily top him with their pitch-perfect artwork. The aesthetic appeal of this book is nearly unrivaled in terms of a product perfectly matching its aura with its basic design. It's hard to use the word "magical" without wanting to vomit, but there is no other word that better describes what Young and Beaulieu manage to do here. What makes this even more impressive is how they use a modern approach to capture a comparatively traditional tone. The book is hip in its manga influences, yet eerily endearing as a piece of Americana as well.

Obviously, this series isn't for everyone. There are some grown-ups that prefer more heady material, and there is nothing wrong with that. But even so, for a lot of us, there remains an inner-child that needs to be fed. And to that end, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz provides a veritable feast.